Snap-seal.



.No. 818,659. I PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

E. J. BROOKS.

SNAP SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, I905.

win

N EWAR K UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lcatented April 24, 1906.

Application filed August 31, 1905. Serial No. 276,613.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to self-fastening seals or snap seals, as they are herein termed, adapted for use as substitutes .for press-fastened seals for securing the doors of railway freight-cars and for other like purposes and to be destroyed in opening them.

Seals of that description are set forth in my specification forming part of United States Letters Patent No. 796,109, dated August 1, 1905, and previous specifications v therein referred to.

The present invention is more particularly additional to the improvement in snap-seals described and claimed in the specification forming part of said Letters Patent No; 796,109, the same being characterized by snap parts formed distinct from both the shackle and the seal part, all the parts of the improved seal being adapted to be made of small pieces of sheet metal.

The present invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. Its distinctive objects are to render the snap-catches larger and more secure than heretofore, to adapt them to be made distinct from the shackle and seal part, but securely attached to the respective ends of the shackle, and to be successively inserted therewith into the seal part, 'so as to unite the parts at the factory and to fasten the seal in like manner at the final sealing operation, and to render the attached snap part to be last used secure against being accidentally detached.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 is a face view of the shackle of one species of the improved snap-seals. Figs. 2 and 3 are face views of its pair of seal parts detached. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the respective snap parts attached to the shackle ends. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the completed snap-seal as it leaves the factory. Fig. 7 is a like sectional view of the seal-part end of the fastened seal. Fig. 8 is a face view of one end of the shackle of a second species. Fig. 9 is a face view of its snap part detached. Fig. 10 is a view of this snap part attached to the shackle end. Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the completed and fastened snap-seal. Fig. 12 is a face view of one end of the shackle of a third species. Fig. 13 is a face view of its snap part detached. Fig. 14 is a view of the latter attached to the shackle end. Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the completed and fastened snap-seal and Fig. 16 is a face view of another snap part, illustrating a modification.

in all the figures.

The improved snap-seal in either of its forms is composed of a flexible sheet-metal shackle a or a or 0 a pair of separatelyformed sheet-metal snap parts I) and c or c or c or c, and a hollow seal part (1, which may also be made of suitable sheet metal.

In all the species the respective ends of the shackle a or a or a are provided with snappart-attaching means 1 and 2 in the-form of rectangular holes, and the snap part b for the shackle end to be fastened at the factory is in all the species preferably of the simple form represented by Fig. 3 in connection with Figs. 5, 6, &c.that is to say, simply provided with notches 3 in its lateral edges to interact with the sides of the corresponding hole 1 in the shackle and to adapt the attached snap part to form an efiective withdrawal resisting fastening within the seal part. (Compare Figs. 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, and 15.) In each of the species the other snap part c or c or c or c is provided with like notches 3 in both lateral edges and is further provided in connection with the shackle with supplemental means for rendering the snap part more securely and rigidly attached, so as to prevent its separation from the shackle. Such supplemental fastening means will be pointed out in describing the several species.

In each of the species the shackle a or a or a is or may be provided with any approved inlet-guards 4 adjacent to the respective snap part-attaching holes 1 and 2 and with any desired lettering or numbers or other distinguishing marks, either embossed or printed, as represented by A B O and 1905 in Fig. 1, and by A98760 and Newark in Figs. 8 and 12, respectively, also with a freeended catch or guard 5, so located as to be behind the loosely-attached snap part b to interlock or interfere with tools such as are 'used for tampering with the snap parts. In all the species the rigidly-attached snap part c or c or c or c is also further constructed with afree-ended catch 5 or 5",integralwith Like reference characters refer to like parts IIO the1 snap part, to interlock with tamperingtoo s.

The seal part (Z in all the species is or may be of one and the same construction illustrated in the several sectional viewsthat is to say, of sheet metal, bulb-shaped, and composed of two pieces inseparably united with each other by a circumferential joint 6 and one of them provided with a suitable inlethole 7 and inwardly-projecting catch-forming lips Sat both sides of said hole.

The snap-partattaching hole 2 of the shackle a of the first species is distinguished by a bendable spur 9, projecting into the hole, and the corresponding snap part cis constructed with a hole 10, adapted to admit said spur end to interact therewith in rendering the snap part securely and rigidly attached. (Compare Figs. 4, 6, and 7.) The shackle a of the second species is distinguished by a supplemental hole 11 between. its snap-part-attaching hole 2 and the adj acent extremity of the shackle, and the-corresponding snap part c is provided with a bendable spur 12, adapted to be inserted into said supplemental hole 11 and to be interlocked therewith, as in Figs. 10 and 11. Both ends of the shackle a? of the third species are or may be alike, and the snap part c is ren dered secure and rigid by a bendable spur 13, interlocked with the end of the shackle, as in Figs. 14 and 15.

The modification illustrated by Fig; 16 consists in making the free-ended catch or guard 5 reversed, as compared with those shown at 5 in other figures. Otherwisethe modified snap part 0 may be of any of the forms hereinbefore described.

The snap part b of either of the improved snap-seals is loosely attached to the corresponding end of the shackle a or a or as in Fig. 5, and this end, together with said snap part b, is inserted through the inlet-hole 7 into the catch-chamber of the seal part (Z; This is done at the factory and completes the seal for the market, as illustrated by Fig. 6. Meanwhile the other snap art 0 or c or c or. c has been secured and rlgidly attached to its end of the shackle aor a or a andafter passing the shackle through a pair of cardoorstaples e andf or the like said snappart c or 0 or c or c is inserted, together with the shackle end, to which it is attached, through. the inlet-hole 7 into the catch-chamber of the seal part d to complete the final fastening or sealing operation, as illustrated by Figs. 7, 11, and 15. Within the seal part (Z the snap arts 6 and c, b and c or b and c or b ands interact with the walls of the catch-chamber, and particularly with said inwardly-project'- ing lips 8to prevent the withdrawal of either shackle end, and tampering with the snap parts is prevented by said catches or guards 5 and 5 or 5". The seal is opened to free the car-door or the like to which it is applied b y cutting the shackle a or a or (L and thus destroyingthe seal. It will be obvious that in either species both snap parts may be of one and the same pattern and ofany of the forms hereinbefore specified, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification 1. A snap-seal having, in combination, a hollow seal par-t provided with a suitable inlet-hole, a-flexible sheet-metal shackle, a-separately-for-med snap part attachable'to one shackle end and adapted-tobe inser-tedtherewith intosaid seal part at the factory to preliminarily unite the parts, and a separatelyformed snap part securelyattached to the othershackle end and adapted. for insertion therewith at the final fastening operation.

-2. A snap-seal having, in combination, a hollow seal part. provided with-a suitable inlet-hole, and inwardly-projecting lips at the sides of said inlet-hole, a flexible sheet-met'al shackle, a separately-formed snappart attachableto oneshack-le end and adapted to be inserted therewith into-saidseal par-t at the factory to reliminarily unite the parts, and a separate y-formed" snap part securely attached to the other shackle'end an'd a'dapved for insertion therewith at the final fastening operation.

3. A snap-seal-havin in combination, a hollow seal part provide with asuitable inlet- ,hole, a flexible sheet-metal shackle, having i snap-part-attachingmeans" at both ends, a Eseparately-formed snap: part loosely attachable to oneshackle end and adapted to be inserted therewithinto said seal'part at the factory to preliminarily uni-te the p arts, and a Esepar-ately formed snappar-t securely attached tothe-other shackle end and adapted for insertion therewith at the final fastening operation.

4. A snap-seal having, in combination, a

. hollowsealpart provided with a' suitable in-- let-hole, a fieXib e sheet.-metal-- shackle pre- 'liminar-ily attached to said seal part at one end andhavingits other endprovided with a.

snap-part-attaching hole anda separately formed snap part of sheet metal having ,notches in its lateral edges: adapting it tobe interlocked with said hole and adapted to be inserted through-said inlethole together with the shackle end lastnamed at the finahfast'ening operation and to prevent its withdrawal.

5. A snap-seal having, in: combination, a hollow seal'part providedwitha suitable -inlet-hole, a flexible sheet metal shacklepreliminarily attached to said seal part at oneend and having its other end-provided With-asnap-part-attaching hole, and a se aratelyformed snap part of sheet meta: having notchesin its lateral edges adaptingit to be interlocked with said hole and adapted to be inserted through said inlet-hole together with the shackle end last named at the final fastening operation and to prevent its withdrawal, said shackle and snap part bein further constructed with a bendable spur an a hole to interact with said spur for rendering the attachment of said snap part rigid.

6. A snap-seal having, in combination, a hollow seal part provided with asuitable inlet-hole, a flexible sheet-metal shackle preliminarily attached to said seal part at one end and having its other end provided with a snap-part-attaching hole, and a se aratelyformed snap part of sheet meta having notches in its lateral edges adapting it to .be interlocked with said hole and adapted to be inserted through said inlet hole together with the shackle end last named at the final fastening o eration and to prevent its withdrawal, sai snap-part-attaching hole containing a bendable spur integral with the shackle and said snap part having a hole to interact with said spur to render the attachment of said snap part rigid.

7. A snap-seal having, in combination, a hollow seal part provided with a suitable inlet-hole, a flexible sheet-metal shackle preliminarily attached to said seal part at one end and having its other end provided with a snap-part-attaching hole, and a separatelyformed snap part of sheet metal having notches in its lateral edges adapting it to be interlocked with said hole and adapted to be inserted through said inlet-hole together with the shackle end last named at the final fastening operation and to prevent its withdrawal, said snap part being further constructed with a free-ended catch adapted to interlock with tampering-tools.

8. A snap-seal having, in combination, a hollow seal part provided with a suitable inlet-hole, a flexible sheet-metal shackle, having rectangular snap-part-attaching holes at both ends and a bendable spur within one of said holes, separately-formed sheet-metal snap parts each having notches in its sides adapting it to be interlocked with one of said holes, and one of them having a hole adapted to interact with said spur to render the attachment secure and rigid, the respective shackle ends being adapted to be successively inserted together with the attached snap parts through said inlet-hole into said seal part and to be secured against withdrawal by said snap parts, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses M. E. KANALEY, THEODORE D, GoTTLrEB. 

